Category Archives: Economy

Albany, GA Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline and Compressor 2014-10-28

December 10, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Safety, WaterAirport, Albany, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, FERC, Flint River, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lamar Reese Elementary School, Law, Martin Luther King Jr., resolution, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sherwood Christian Academy, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

The day after Dougherty County passed a resolution wanting Sabal Trail’s pipeline and compressor station out of the county and the state, its county seat Albany passed this resolution asking the same.

Here’s PDF and the text is below.

14-R 175
A RESOLUTION
ENTITLED
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE SABAL TRAIL
TRANSMISSION, LLC NATURAL GAS PIPELINE, AS
WELL AS THE ALBANY COMPRESSOR STATION
APPLICATION NO. 2236; REPEALING PRIOR
RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy, headquartered in the State of Texas, has proposed developing a 460 mile natural gas pipeline, a portion of which will traverse through Dougherty County, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, this project is typically referred to as SABAL TRAIL TRANSMISSION, LLC (hereinafter “Project”); and

WHEREAS, part of this Project is the installation of an extremely large compressor station, such that the citizens in Albany and Dougherty County will be adversely affected; and

WHEREAS, afier careful consideration, Continue reading Albany, GA Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline and Compressor 2014-10-28 →

FPL’s parent NextEra buys Hawaii’s biggest utility for green energy transition

December 5, 2014Economy, Florida, History, SolarBloomberg, Economy, Florida, FPL, Hawaii, History, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, renewable energy, solar, SpectraBusters, transition, windJohn S. Quarterman

While FPL wants to frack Oklahoma, its parent corp. wants to green Hawaii. Do they even talk?

Mark Chediak and Ehren Goossens, Bloomberg, 4 December 2014, NextEra Buys Hawaii’s Biggest Utility in Green Energy Test,

“You can think about Hawaii as a postcard from the future of what’s going to happen in the electric industry in the United States,” James Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra, said by phone interview yesterday. “As renewable generation gets cheaper, as electric storage becomes more efficient and possible, all electric utilities are going to have to face this.”

What’s FPL making Florida, then? A test case for the failed past?

Bloomberg says about NextEra’s Hawaii Electric purchase:

Including debt, the total value of the transaction is about $4.3 billion.

That’s not much more than FPL’s Sabal Trail pipeline boondoggle. How about cancel that pipeline and the fracking and green Florida into… the Sunshine State!

-jsq

PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas –Tampa Bay Times

December 5, 2014Economy, FL PSC, Florida, Fracking, OklahomaEconomy, FL PSC, Florida, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Oklahoma, policy, SpectraBusters, Tampa Bay TimesJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently unaware of its own parent NextEra’s green energy move in Hawaii, FPL wants to frack Oklahoma, and meets some resistance from a newspaper back home in Florida.

Editorials: PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas,

If the Florida Public Service Commission wants to give electric utilities unprecedented permission to explore for natural gas or gold or other riches, it ought to at least require the utilities’ shareholders to assume the financial risk. Utility customers should not pay all of the costs while the monopolies keep all of the profits, which is exactly what Florida Power & Light wants the PSC to approve.

The editorial elaborates, including this: Continue reading PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas –Tampa Bay Times →

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 28, 2014Alabama, Economy, Environment, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, LNG, Solar, WaterAlabama, Allies, Economy, environment, Florida, FPL, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Thanksgiving, Water, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Dear SpectraBusters and Allies,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks to all who get out on the street, into the halls of government, or on the media: public awareness is the key to winning this fight.

Thanks to all who quietly and often anonymously help Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving! →

GCCC against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA

November 25, 2014Climate Change, Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Georgia, Hazards, SafetyAlgonquin Pipeline, Climate Change, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, GCCC, Georgia, Georgia Climate Change Coalition, Gloria Gaines, Gretchen Elsner, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Logan Shirah, Radium Springs Neighborhood Association, Rich Rusk, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

The Georgia Climate Change Coalition Bike Lines to stop Pipe Lines stopped in Albany yesterday and got some news coverage.

Diane Dean, WALB TV, 24 November 2014, Bike riders focus on GA environment,

Members of the Georgia Climate Change Coalition are concerned about what the planet will look like for future generations.

“It crosses the flint and Chattahoochee River and their water sheds that provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people,” said Gretchen Elsner of the Georgia Climate Change Coalition.

Rich Rusk is Continue reading GCCC against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA →

Opposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission

November 24, 2014Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, SafetyAlabama, Bill Slaughter, blast zone, Clyattville Elementary School, Economy, Education, FERC, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, liability, Lowndes County, personal property rights, Safety, SpectraBusters, taxJohn S. Quarterman

Escalating from the Chairman’s letter of 11 April 2014, perhaps after listening to requests from citizens, the Lowndes County Commission passed a resolution wanting no part of Sabal Trail in the county or in the state of Georgia.

Update 2014-11-25: Well, according to Joe Adgie in the Valdosta Daily Times today, “Even though the missive has already been mailed [to FERC], the resolution will not be formally voted on until the county commission’s next meeting in December [9th].”

Filed with FERC in docket CP15-17 on 21 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141121-5242, but that was a Friday and FERC doesn’t work on weekends, so it actually appeared Monday 24 November 2014.

RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed to build a $3.7 Billion, 460mile natural gas line known as Sabal Trail, and;
WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns regarding personal property rights Continue reading Opposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission →

Sabal Trail formal FERC filing CP15-17

November 21, 2014Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, LNG, Solar, WaterAlabama, Economy, eminent domain, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, LNG, NextEra Energy, property rights, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, taxes, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Have Dougherty and Colquitt County sold us out to Sabal Trail? Sabal Trail’s FERC filing seems to say so.

One day after Transco’s Hillabee, Sabal Trail filed CP15-17 21 November 2014 in ten submissions with dozens of PDF files. So Andrea Grover’s “sometime later this year” turns out to be today.

The first submission alone is 581 pages, none of which mention any of the words solar or photovoltaic, nor LNG or export, according to a PDF search. A search for privileged finds that, though. Continue reading Sabal Trail formal FERC filing CP15-17 →

Bike Lines to stop Pipe Lines 22-25 Nov 2014

November 20, 2014Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Sumter CountyAlbany, Americus, bicycle, Clarke County, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Fracking, GCCC, Georgia, Georgia Climate Change Coalition, Gretchen Elsner, pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Sumter CountyJohn S. Quarterman

200 miles from Athens to Albany, Saturday November 22nd through Tuesday November 25th. (PDF)

Ride supported by the Georgia Climate Change Coalition & Georgia Bikes! Continue reading Bike Lines to stop Pipe Lines 22-25 Nov 2014 →

I am opposed to Sabal Trail’s Alternative –GA Rep. Gerald Greene to FERC

November 20, 2014Agriculture, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, Georgia, WaterAgriculture, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Georgia, Gerald Greene, John S. Quarterman, Mark Daniel, Mark's Melon Patch, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sasser Route Alternative, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Terrell County, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

“I am concerned after studying, talking to individuals and the environmental and economic impact that I am opposed to the alternative route.”

Dated 10 November 2014, filed by FERC 18 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141118-0021, Continue reading I am opposed to Sabal Trail’s Alternative –GA Rep. Gerald Greene to FERC →

Listen to the people you are supposed to protect –Laura Dailey to FERC

November 17, 2014Columbia County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Hazards, Safety, Solar, WaterChina, Columbia County, Economy, Europe, FERC, fire, Florida, Fort White, Germany, Hazards, insurance, John S. Quarterman, Laura Dailey, lobbyist, opportunity, protect, public, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, spring, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

“We have the opportunity to be world leaders in the renewable energy revolution! Shall we let that opportunity go to Germany or China, by default?”

Filed with FERC 15 November 2014:

Laura Dailey, fort white, FL.

On this final day to plead my/our case, it is time for the FERC to look at the bigger picture and stop caving to the short term fixes. We are in trouble, and you can help by voting to DENY THE SABAL TRAIL METHANE PIPELINE! Leave the gas in the ground…..where it’s already conveniently stored!

EVERY DAY we wake to an invitation from the sun! In fact, the planet itself runs on solar, and most European countries already understand this. Even China just made a huge commitment to solar. Contrary to what the lobbyists are telling you, FLORIDA DOES NOT NEED THIS GAS!!

From the standpoint of transparency, there is none! I have asked Continue reading Listen to the people you are supposed to protect –Laura Dailey to FERC →